Sew Stupid

I can't tell you just how hair brained I've been lately. I know why. We've had so many changes to our lives that my brain isn't functioning correctly. I know this is temporary and that by Christmas things will be more normal. Or, I should say, we'll have found our new normal. I don't mean to say that things are bad because they aren't. In fact, things are going very, very well. I am really enjoying my new job and am thankful that it is at a school so that I get home only 15 minutes after the boys get off the bus. I have most of the same vacation days they have and I don't have to work over the summer. I feel blessed also with the wonderful people I work with as well as the fabulous young lady I am helping every day.

The boys are adjusting well to school. Nolan loves school and has been a bit more organized this year. A bit. We continue to work on this quality of his. Nathan is adjusting as well. Schoolwork takes him a while and so we spend quite a bit of time each day doing homework and studying for tests. Some kids just have to work harder than others. So I am grateful that this kid that needs to work hard is a hard worker. It makes something hard just a little easier.

Now for the stupid part. As I told you in a previous post, I joined a flickr group called Swap Till You Drop. I told you the theme was roses. I made this mini quilt which I have to say I love to death:In fact, I love it so much I was thinking I would make one for myself. Well, it looks like I won't have to make another one because upon looking at the swap group site I noticed that the theme for Sept. ISN'T roses, it's HEARTS!!!!!! How could I mess that up??????
I just could hardly believe my eyes when I saw a finished quilt and I saw a heart! Actually, I just really wasn't that surprised. So last night I sat down with my fabric (good thing I still had lots left) and worked out a heart quilt. Here's a sneak peek:
You can see that I finally bought a darning foot for my machine. I was excited to use it for the first time. Here's the second part of my stupidity. I've owned my sewing machine for about 11 years. I put on the foot and lowered the feed dogs. I lowered the darning foot and couldn't move the fabric. The metal piece behind the foot was pressing too hard on the fabric. Did I have the foot on wrong? I fussed with the foot for a while. No, it was definitely on correctly. It just seemed that there should be a way to keep the foot from lowering so far. But how????

Hey......maybe I should look in my sewing machine manual? Well, what do you know.....my machine has a darning stop to keep the foot from lowering the entire way. I felt amazed and stupid all at the same time. Actually, mostly I was grateful because I really wanted to use that darn darning foot (pun intended). I am a little disappointed in the darning foot itself because it is not well made. It is plastic and the plastic wasn't well filed at the front so my thread keeps breaking. I'll have to file it down myself, I guess. For as much money as I paid for it, I expected better. Above are the scraps from my rose quilt. If you wonder about the rose theme, there is a black and white fabric with roses on it. You have to look closely to see it. I'm hoping to use these left overs for something else. Perhaps some coasters. I don't expect it to be soon. I have got- got-got to finish my Colorado quilt. After I get this heart quilt in the mail!